It Happened In— Wait, What?
by Spazzumtard
Summary: Isabella is about ready to kill someone. Seriously, heads would roll if people didn't start to lay off! But unfortunately for Isabella, the Fireside Girls—all grown up—have always had a hard time letting things go. No matter how many times she's explained it, they just won't listen! (A different kind of Ferbella story, with surprisingly very little Ferbella.) Post!AYA Post!college.


**Whaaaat? Another something from Spazz within a week?! It must be a new record! (enjoy it while it lasts.)** **Anyway... a few things before we start...**

 **First: _HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the wonderful LillyBelle!_ We send you warm wishes and virtual hugs from all across the Ferbella fandom! (also, I hope you enjoy your oreo pie!)  
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 **Second: about this fic idea... This came to me a while back and I just HAD to do it. It's different, but I really like how it turned out. I hope you all do too.**

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 **Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it...?**

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 **It Happened In … Wait, What?!**

Isabella was about ready to kill someone. Seriously, heads were going to roll if people wouldn't start to _**lay off**_!

How many times did they have to go through this before they finally _got_ it? It was driving her absolutely crazy. Isabella had actually lost count of how often she'd told them that _yes_ , she is over Phineas. _Yes,_ she's doing just fine. _No_ , she does not want a 'pity date'. And _**no!**_ She did _**not**_ need any help getting back together with Phineas, _Ginger_. She wasn't in denial either. But they just couldn't believe her! ARGH!

She hadn't had anything past platonic feelings for Phineas since… well, about halfway through freshman year in college. Not that anyone noticed anything different about her—all of them still under the impression that (eventually) Phineas and Isabella would get together, get married, have two kids, and live happily ever after.

Which sounded great in theory, but did not—and would not—come to pass in reality. Isabella's feelings kind of put the kybosh on that years ago.

Honestly, Isabella was still amazed at how conflicting it could be to get over a crush she no longer had when practically _everyone_ was convinced she still did. It was simultaneously both surprisingly easy and dreadfully difficult, but there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening. It came on so suddenly! It was like she woke up one morning and those feelings were just _gone_. No explanation, no forwarding address. Just zip, see ya!

And she had _no one_ to talk to about it! Well… except for Phineas himself—and wasn't _that_ an awkward conversation.

" _Hey Phineas! As much as I had looked forward to that kiss since childhood, I don't think this is going to work out. It's not you or anything; I just… don't have those feelings for you anymore. Also, it was kind of weird anyway. Like kissing a cousin or something. Sorry!_ "

Yeah… awkward. She would have been insulted by his quick agreement, but his reply of " _we waited too long, didn't we?_ " pretty much summed it up. It was nice that they were on the same page about it though. And almost instantly, they were back to being the best of friends; now strictly platonic.

Somehow though it had gotten into everyone's head that their breakup was "only temporary" or that "the time wasn't right, give them a year."

Well, four years later and they still felt only sibling affection for each other. It took Isabella a while to figure out _that_ was how she say Phineas, being an only child and all. It had actually been his quip during their trip to Vegas during Spring Break that caused her to realize it, but it explained their relationship accurately.

 _But_ , no matter _how_ many times she told the girls that, they didn't believe her!

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt." Adyson teased.

Isabella smacked a palm to her forehead, but didn't respond… at least not this time.

Holly elbowed her. "What she needs is to go have a rebound date to get it out of her system. Then she can go back to Phineas with the full knowledge that he's the only one for her." she finished with a dreamy sigh.

Milly glanced at Holly with an eyebrow raised. "A rebound relationship? It's been years—shouldn't that have happened a while ago?"

Holly shrugged. "She's still stuck in the same limbo—denial as she was years ago. I don't see how it makes a difference when it happens, so long that it does. Look at her—" She grabbed Isabella's chin, squishing her cheeks with her long fingers. "—she needs _something_!"

Isabella pushed her friend's hand away with a glare. "Look at me? What's wrong with how I look?"

Adyson studied her for a moment before nodding to Holly. "Yeah, I see it."

Isabella huffed. "See what?"

Adyson grabbed one hand while Holly grabbed her other, both of them giving her what could only be described as dire looks. "Isabella," Holly began. "You're tense and stiff. You need something that will help you relax."

"I vote sex, but a good make out would probably work too." Adyson explained rather bluntly.

The girls squealed as if they weren't all college graduates while Isabella's mouth fell open. Did she hear that right? They wanted her to go out and have some meaningless snog and/or sex? Oh hell no! If she were going to snog or sex anyone, it'd be the one she _wanted_ to snog or sex, thank you very much. Besides, the only reason she was so _tense and stiff_ was because of them!

She held up her hands to stop the girls from chattering. "Okay. Um… _thanks_ , I guess, for the… help? But I don't need—or _want_ —a date. And I _**really**_ don't need you guys trying to get me and Phineas together. Seriously, I am _fine_."

Ginger waved a hand, brushing her words off. "Oh, don't worry, Isabella. I have the perfect idea on how you can get Phineas back. And you won't have to go hookup with some random guy." she said with a glare towards Adyson.

Isabella rubbed her tabled. "Are you guys even listening to me?! I. Don't. Want. To. Date. Phineas! I don't want to date _**anyone**_!"

Ginger scoffed. "Oh, of course you want to date Phineas. You've liked him since you were eleven."

Isabella snapped. "NO! I liked him _when_ I was eleven. _Please_ believe me when I say— _for the hundredth time_ —I DO NOT want Phineas anymore! My love for him is familial ONLY!"

She was standing now, her hands fisted against her hips, and she was glaring at all of the girls present. Distantly in the back of her mind, she wished Gretchen were there. Always the logical one of the group. She wouldn't have let the argument get this far.

A movement caught her eye and she zeroed in on Milly leaning over to Adyson. "Yeah, I see it now. She desperately needs to get laid." the smaller girl whispered not very softly.

Isabella groaned and replied before anyone else could speak—and before anyone registered the door off to the side opening. "I get laid often enough, thanks."

"Oh, that's not something I needed to know." a voice remarked behind them.

Isabella spun a round to see a red faced redhead covering his eyes and shaking his head. She snickered. "Sorry Phineas. I didn't hear you come in."

He uncovered his eyes, showing an odd mix of amusement and disgust in his expression. "Obviously."

All of the girls remained silent, for once, which Isabella was very thankful for. She shook off the lingering ire she felt for them and sent Phineas a smile. "What's up? Did you need something?"

Phineas shrugged, snagging some peanuts from the bowl on her end table. "No, just wondering his ETA."

Isabella cocked her hips and folded her arms. "You could have just asked him, you know."

He grinned. "I know, but it's easier to ask you."

She rolled her eyes and pointed to the last vacant seat in the room. "Oh just take a seat. He shouldn't be long." She sat back down in her own seat, looking over the girls who seemed torn between continuing their intervention or keeping her 'secret crush' secret.

Phineas flopped down next to Milly and grinned. "So, what are we talking about?" he asked, his grin morphing slightly into a smirk.

Isabella narrowed her eyes at him. He was supposed to be on her side—give her support. So why did she suddenly feel a chill go up her spine? She noticed the girls exchanging looks, silently asking if they should continue the conversation with him there. After all, he was at least one of the major topics in the discussion.

Taking matters into her own hands, Adyson shrugged. "We were talking about how you and Isabella should get back together.

Isabella felt some relief that she hadn't said something like " _We think Isabella needs to get laid, and you're just the guy to do it_." Although, to be honest, who wants to mention sex around Phineas? He's acts too innocent for a discussion like that.

Phineas, on the other hand, obviously didn't feel any relief. Instead, he burst out laughing, nearly folding in half and holding his gut. The girls were surprised, but were also ready to take up arms to tear him apart for laughing at Isabella's feelings when they noticed that the girl in question was shaking with silent laughter.

The girls gazed back and forth between the chortling duo. Milly even felt the urge to scoot as far away from Phineas that the couch would allow. Holly nudged Isabella hard enough to make the girl snort, also causing her to choke and cough.

While Isabella struggled to breathe normally, Phineas finally began to calm down. There were tears in his eyes that he wiped away. "Thanks Adyson. I hadn't laughed that hard in months." He winked at Isabella, who still had a hand over her chest. "Since Spring Break, probably."

Isabella felt her cheeks pink and she tried to glare at him, but she couldn't help the happy smile that grew on her face. It had been almost eight months since Spring Break and she still felt that giddy lightheartedness whenever the topic came up. And Phineas knew it—he had been there, so duh—and he enjoyed bringing it up to make her smile like that. He did the same to Candace by mentioning Amanda's birthday, or her and Jeremy's anniversary. Even after five years of marriage, Candace still went all dazed and dreamy over Jeremy. They were relationship goals—for real.

The girls had noticed her dreamy smile, but Phineas took over before any of them could comment.

"I hate to break it to you girls, but Isabella and I will not be getting back together—not that we were really together in the first place." He shrugged. "A handful of kissed and a couple of dates does not a relationship make."

Ginger looked absolutely heartbroken. "But… you guys belong together! You're Phinabella. The best couple to have ever coupled! You can't not get together!"

Phineas simply shrugged again, but before he could speak, Isabella huffed loudly. "Wait, now you believe it? Because he said so? I have told you guys this SO MANY TIMES! And you have _never_ _once_ believed me!"

Holly actually looked a bit sheepish. "Well… we just thought you were still heartbroken or in denial or something. You guys still hung out all the time! Even after he broke up with you."

Isabella gazed at her for a second before falling back into her chair with a groan. She'd explained that to them before too—the separation, the friendship, etc. Had they not heard a word she had said at all in the last few years?!

Phineas chuckled lowly. "Hate to break it to you, Holly, but I didn't break up with her." The way their heads swung around to focus on him was almost audible. "She brought it up first."

Oxygen left the room in a large amount as all four of the girls gasped. Isabella simply stayed slouching in her chair, shaking her head at the combined idiocy her friends had when it came to her relationships.

Then Phineas said the kicker.

"However, if you guys are wanting to think of a new guy for Isabella to have in her life, I do have a suggestion."

Her eyes snapped to his in an instant. Even as Milly asked "who?", Isabella did her best to murder the amusement in his expression with her own rage—fire.

"You jerk!" She nearly spat at him. He only snickered in response and she stood up. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

He leaned back with a satisfied grin. "I am, actually. Very much so."

She covered her eyes with her hands.. "I hate you so much right now."

"Love you too, Sis."

Adyson finally spoke up. "Sis? What?"

Isabella was done talking, which left Phineas to explain everything that _she had already told them before_! "Yeah, Iz and I look at each other more like siblings than friends—or even exes. Not that I've experienced any other exes, but from what I've seen most exes have some lingering attraction still. There's none of that here. Not that you're not pretty, Iz. I'm just not attracted to you."

"Likewise." she muttered back, not bothering to uncover her eyes.

Adyson glanced between the duo before shaking her head. "Okay, I get it. I finally get it—sorry Isabella." She turned to Phineas with her gossip smile on. "So, who is the guy you think would be good for Isabella, and do you think he'd be okay with some meaningless sex?"

Isabella would have facepalmed again if she weren't still in the middle of the last one. Upside was that she didn't have to see Phineas burst out laughing again. He fought through his chuckles in order to get out, "Yeah!" Snort. "I think he'd—" snicker. "—be all for that." Chortles. He wiped his eyes before continuing. "I think he'd like it to be more meaningful than not, though."

Ginger sighed. "Well, if Isabella is as over you as she claims, she might be ready for a meaningful relationship."

Shaking her head at the fact that _now_ her friends are in support of her 'moving on', Isabella wished for a table or wall that she could bang her head against. Instead, she pulled out her phone. **How long until you get here?** she typed.

 **Soon. What's going on?** came the reply a minute later.

 **I was hanging w/ the gals and then Phin came over and now he's having a blast trolling them about 'the perfect guy for me' now that I'm 'officially over Phin'.** With that she sent an exasperated emoji.

 **Can you last two more minutes?**

Isabella blinked and sat up, staring at her phone in surprise. She ignored her guests who were, at the moment, trying to pry a name out of Phineas.

 **Really?! The ceremony is over?**

 **Yep. Just have to say my goodbyes and I will be home soon.**

Isabella, nearly forgetting everyone was there, stood up with a squeal and started spinning around happily. She hadn't been able to go to the ceremony due to her own packed schedule—and she had felt so bad about it—but he hadn't minded. " _So long as you're able to celebrate with me when it's done_." he'd told her that morning, his eyebrows waggling.

She stopped suddenly, remembering the gift she'd purchased for him. She hurried to grab the box, not seeing Phineas' own expression of excitement or the girls' curiosity. Phineas, however, did notice their confusion and he smirked. "How much longer?" he called to Isabella who had ducked into the second bedroom of their apartment.

"Two minutes!" she answered, returning to the living room.

"What?"

"Two minutes to what?"

"What is going on?"

The girls all started questioning them at once. Isabella didn't stop to answer, too busy running around the room, tucking and kicking away the little bits of clutter that had appeared during the day.

Phineas merely shrugged, for once not talking even as the girls rounded on him for answers. They all stopped as Isabella's phone dinged. They turned to watch her look at it, smile, and then move to the middle of the room where nothing and no one was around her.

Milly started forward to grab the girl and demand answers—she did NOT like feeling out of the loop—but a hand grasped her arm and held her back. She glared back at Phineas who only shook his head negatively. She turned back just in time to see a glow appear around Isabella. The group of girls gasped and gaped as the glow moved from surrounding her, becoming a beam next to Isabella, before taking the shape of a tall male. Then, as if a switch had been flicked, the form instantly changed into a solid body. Jaws dropped as the recognized the mop of lime green hair.

Isabella beamed and jumped into Ferb's arms. Phineas released Milly's arm and stepped around the dazed group of girls. Moving forward, he coughed twice in order to make the couple separate for a moment. Ferb released Isabella, who started turning red as she noticed the girls still in the background.

Phineas pulled his brother into a congratulatory hug. "Well done, _Dr._ Fletcher." he said with a wink. Ferb smirked in response. "Here," Phineas pulled something out of his pocket. "I just wanted to give you a graduation gift before heading out." He nudged Ferb with his elbow. "Take the wife out for a date or something, yeah?"

Loud gasps came from behind. " _Wife?!_ " The girls shrieked in unison, shocked to the core as they taped open mouthed at Isabella as she was pulled into Ferb's arms once again. She rested her head against her husband's broad chest, her face flushed bright red.

"Yup!" Phineas grinned happily, not even caring about the smack upside the head Ferb gave him.

"Shut it, you!" Isabella twisted around so that she could poke Phineas' gut. "This is your fault!"

Phineas merely shrugged, even as Ferb raised an eyebrow at him. "You realize you now forfeit the bet," his deep English accented voice commented.

The redhead grinned, gesturing to the envelope. "What do you think is in there?"

Adyson forced her way over. "Hold everything!" She pointed at Isabella and Ferb with a scowl. "You guys are _married?!_ "

Isabella laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah… well, you see… it's a funny story…"

Ferb grasped Isabella around her middle. "A story that Phineas can tell, since it's his fault it was a secret anyway." He nuzzled her neck. "And I want to celebrate my graduation with My Love now, so if you will excuse us."

With that, he pulled her up over his shoulder, carrying her to their room and ignoring her embarrassed shouts of "Ferb!", followed by giddy laughter.

When the bedroom door closed, all four girls rounded on Phineas, who suddenly looked like prey caught in the sights of a predator.

"Explain." Holly growled.

Phineas chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, but… um… we might want to take this elsewhere." He glanced almost fearfully at the closed door. "There are some sounds that you should never have to hear once, let alone _twice_."

They filed out of the apartment, and as the front door closed, you could hear him begin his tale.

"Well… It _is_ a funny story…"

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 **So, before you all review demanding to know the story, let me say that it is already in the works! And it's turning out to be more than just another oneshot, if you can believe it!**

 **However, please don't let my saying that stop you from reviewing! Demand to know the story! It might just get me to finish it and post it sooner. *singsong* You never knooooow. XD**

 **And, once again; HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILLYBELLE! (I have no doubts that she will read the reviews to this, so if you want to wish her a happy birthday also, you can do so here. Or send her a personal message. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you!)**


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